Frequently asked Questions about the fit note Written by Prof Sayeed Khan and Dr Debbie Cohen Some of my colleagues are saying you can only back date the fit note for a maximum of one month, is that true? No, there is no time limit; the fit note can be backdated for as long as you like provided there is evidence in your patient s records to support the duration. However this must be based on a previous assessment. The guidance from the DWP states clearly: An assessment is defined as the date you either had a face-to-face consultation, a telephone consultation or considered a report from another doctor or registered healthcare professional. You can issue a Statement on or after this date, but not before. In some cases though the patient may come for a backdated certificate when an assessment has not been carried out e.g. a patient discharged from hospital without a fit note. In these cases you can provide the fit note for the appropriate forward period (e.g. two weeks) and then either (i) Write in the comments box that you believe that the patient was unfit from a specified earlier date (e.g. the date they were admitted to hospital) or (ii) Write a separate note to the employer stating the date from which you believe the patient had been unable to attend work. You must be able to justify your decision for back dating a certificate around an appropriate assessment as defined above.
Is it true that I can only write down what the patient says to me in the comments section? Whilst what the patient says can be helpful, this section is for you to make a clinical judgment about functional ability. For example, the patient might say to you he / she needs a new chair but the clinical finding is that the patient has difficulty sitting for long periods and you should state this rather than needs a new chair. Am I legally liable if something goes wrong with the patient at their workplace? No, if you have made a suitable clinical assessment and stated the functional consequence of their ill health then that is the limit of your liability [as with all of your patients]. It is for the employer to undertake a suitable risk assessment of the work place to accommodate your clinical judgment. If the employer fails to do this, they will be liable if the patient is hurt. For example, if you indicated that the patient should avoid lifting and carrying and the employer gives the employee work that involves manual handling, it is the employer who is liable. If I think someone may be fit for work is it alright just to tick one of the four boxes a phased return to work / amended duties / altered hours / workplace adaptations without writing a comment as well? No, not really. Best practice is to write in the comments box as well. These four boxes are just memory joggers for you to consider. Just ticking them doesn t give the employer sufficient information to see whether they can provide suitable work. For example, the employer and the patient may be uncertain what you mean if you just tick a phased return to work. Clarifying this by writing in the comment section something such as would benefit from working 4 hours a day for the first week would be best practice.
I still find employers wanting a fitness for work certificate? Employers demanding a fitness for work note can either be provided with a private note [for which you can charge] or be directed to page 19 of the official guidance for employers on the fit note, which states Unlike the sick note, the Statement of Fitness for Work does not include the option for doctors to advise someone that they are fully fit for work. You do not need to be fully fit to return to work and it is a myth that an employee needs to be signed back to work by a doctor. In some cases, there are existing procedures to ensure someone is fit to carry out their role safely and these should be followed for example with the DVLA rules for LGV/PCV drivers. If you feel you need a medical opinion stating that your employee is fit for work you can enter into a private arrangement with a GP or occupational health specialist. Some employers are still asking for a you are unfit for work certificate when they can t accommodate the workplace adjustments that I have suggested. I thought I didn t need to do this anymore? Yes, you are right. It is taking time for some employers to understand that the patient is automatically unfit for work if the restriction(s)/ adjustments cannot be accommodated. Page 17 of the employers guidance on the fit note states If the doctor has advised that your employee may be fit for work, and you cannot make the adaptations or adjustments to help a return to work, you should explain the reasons for this to your employee and then use the Statement as if the doctor had
advised not fit for work. Your employee does not need to go back to their doctor for a new Statement to confirm this. You may wish to produce a practice leaflet on the issues of fitness for work certificates and unfit for work certificates for patients to give to their employer. Some practices have found this to be the pragmatic approach. Should hospital and A+E doctors still be sending patients back to me for a fit note. When they are managing their care? There are five separate guidances on the fit note. One is specifically for hospital doctors and it clearly states on page 2 that However, while patients are often issued with Med 10s, many hospital doctors are still unaware that they should also, if appropriate, issue Med 3s. Not issuing Med 3s denies patients the best care and leads to unnecessary duplication and extra work for GPs. The duty to provide a Med 3 rests with the doctor who at the time has clinical responsibility for the patient. Do I have to see / speak to the patient before issuing a fit note if he / she has seen a physiotherapist for back pain and they have advised no lifting and carrying for two weeks? No, the big advantage for the GP in terms of reducing workload is that the changes allow a fit note to be issued based on the GP s assessment of written information from a registered healthcare professional. The definition of registered healthcare professional is very wide and includes the 15 professions regulated by the Health Professions Council as well as obvious ones like other doctors, midwives, nurses and chiropractors. However, the GP needs to be satisfied that the information is of sufficient quality to justify signing a fit note.
If I am not sure that the patient will be able to go back to work can I tick both the you are not fit for work and the you may be fit for work taking account of the following advice? No, this has been a common error. You must fill in either you are not fit for work or may be fit for work. If you tick may be fit for work and the employer cannot make the suggested modifications then the note is used as not fit for work. A new note does not need to be issued. Do I have to indicate whether I want to see the patient again? By failing to complete the statement I will / will not need to assess your fitness for work again at the end of this period you are missing a significant opportunity to reduce your workload. If you don t complete the will / will not need to assess section, your patients may make unnecessary appointments to see you. Can I put bereavement as a reason for being unfit for work? No, in the regulations condition is defined as a specific disease or bodily or mental disability. With this respect the term bereavement is not appropriate as this is not a specific medical condition. However, writing anxiety, depression or any condition that relates to the bereavement that you feel is appropriate would be acceptable. Remember many organisations will have specific policies for bereavement leave and if you give them sick leave here it may not be in the patient s best interest in the long term.